Aesthetic Tattoos Are The Latest Body Art Trend

“Permanent makeup has come a long way since your grandma tattooed her brows on,” says Melissa Pruett, founder of Melt By Melissa studio in Scottsdale, AZ. “Nowadays, the technique and artistry has truly evolved to provide people with the most natural enhancements that will make your friends wonder what you’ve done to look so fresh and polished.”

The Ultimate Guide to Permanent Makeup

Looking to wake up with your liner, brows, or lips already perfectly done each day? Every kind of cosmetic face tattoo you can get and how they work — or don’t work, in some cases.

May 25, 2022

Have you ever wished a flawless face of makeup could remain intact, so that when you wake up you can just roll out of bed ready to go? Thanks to permanent makeup, that wish could become a reality.

Permanent makeup refers to cosmetic tattoos that help you recreate your favorite makeup looks in a semipermanent manner. Chances are, you’ve already heard of microblading. Thanks to an exponentially exploding interest in brows over the past few years, the eyebrow-tattooing technique has gone mainstream. But brows are just the beginning. You can also get just-bitten pink lips, sharp-lined eyes, or even faux freckles.

“Permanent makeup has come a long way since your grandma tattooed her brows on,” says Melissa Pruett, founder of Melt By Melissa studio in Scottsdale, AZ. “Nowadays, the technique and artistry has truly evolved to provide people with the most natural enhancements that will make your friends wonder what you’ve done to look so fresh and polished.”

Though this is a wonderful option for those who crave a daily makeup look that’s fuss-free, as cosmetic ink gets more common, it’s important to remember that the key term in semipermanent makeup is “permanent.” As seamless and easy as it sounds, in the end, you are still making a permanent decision — at least one that’ll last for a few years.

“Clients come in and say, ‘I’d never get a body tattoo,’ and in my mind, I’m like, ‘You know you’re tattooing your face right now,'” laughs Kendra Bray, owner of New York City salon Better Brows and Beauty.

So before you commit to aesthetic tattoos to amp up your makeup game, we’ve outlined some of the most essential things you’ll need to know before seeking the most popular permanent cosmetics treatments. (It’s also a great idea to chat with your doctor about whether these treatments are a fit for your body.) From how it works to how long it lasts, here’s exactly what you need to know about microblading, lip blushing, blush tattoos, eyeliner tattoos, freckle tattoos, and scar camouflage before the moment that needle hits your face.

Meet the experts:

• Kendra Bray, owner of Better Brows and Beauty salon in New York City.
• Ava Shamban MD, a Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist and the cofounder of med-spa SkinXFive in Los Angeles.
• Dominique Bossavy, a semi-permanent cosmetic enhancement artist in Beverly Hills.
• Bethany Wolosky, a licensed cosmetic tattoo artist in New York City.
• Melissa Pruett, founder of Melt By Melissa studio in Scottsdale, Arizona.
• Dana Pellegrino, a licensed esthetician, brow artist, and co-owner of The Haven Wax Lounge in Scarsdale, New York.
• Adriana Lombardi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Surgery Center of New Jersey.

Microblading

What is lip blushing?

Lip tattoos may bring to mind the image of a fancy grande dame with permanent lip liner who never seems to actually fill in her lips, but, according to Bray, the technique has been refined to its current form. Also known as lip blushing or lip tinting, a lip tattoo is a simple wash of sheer color across the entire lip.

Most Popular Each Zodiac Sign’s Unique Personality Traits By Aliza Kelly Willow Smith’s Beaded Cornrows Made Me Call a Braider on the Spot By Gabi Thorne I’m Getting Emotional Just Looking at Tia and Tamera Mowry’s Makeup-Free Selfie By Gabi Thorne

“This super-natural, semipermanent cosmetic tattoo builds consistent color and defines your shape for fuller lips without filler and a more polished pout,” Pruett explains.

For example, Bray works with her clients’ natural lip shade to add a slightly deeper layer of pigment. The finished result should look like a just-bitten, blurred lip — the type of subtle lip color that looks like you’ve just enjoyed a make out session.

One thing Bray notes is that lip blushing is a “more intense” process compared to other permanent makeup tattoos. “Since the skin on the lips doesn’t retain pigment as well as the rest of the skin, some clients require two or three touch-ups.”

Who should get lip blushing?

If you’re looking for a blurred-lip look with a slight boost in color every day, lip blushing could be a great option for you. However, you also have to have a pretty high pain tolerance. “Lips are a lot more sensitive than the other parts of the face, so people do experience pain and swelling,” says Bray.

Expect to leave your appointment a little puffy and to spend a week looking like you just got fresh lip injections.

How long does lip blushing last?

Once you’ve been through the multiple touch-up appointments needed to first achieve your desired look, the color will last about a year. “This treatment always includes two sessions spaced six weeks apart,” says Pruett. “Results typically last three to five years, so we recommend coming back whenever the color needs a boost.”

A young girl with beautiful lips is lying in a beauty salon after the procedure of permanent makeup lips, smiling and looking up. Portrait. Lips close up. Horizontal orientation. Getty Images

What are the potential risks of lip blushing?

Dr. Shamban admits that she “isn’t crazy” about lip-blushing tattoos. “There is a higher incidence of allergy to red pigment in the tattoo,” she warns.

Most Popular Each Zodiac Sign’s Unique Personality Traits By Aliza Kelly Willow Smith’s Beaded Cornrows Made Me Call a Braider on the Spot By Gabi Thorne I’m Getting Emotional Just Looking at Tia and Tamera Mowry’s Makeup-Free Selfie By Gabi Thorne

And, in the unfortunate event that you do develop an allergy, be aware that there’s no easy fix. “When correction laser is done to remove the red pigment, it almost always turns black,” Dr. Shamban says. “Expertise, artistry, proper care, and advanced knowledge of the skin will give the patient the lowest risk of complications.”

How much does lip blushing cost?

This again varies on area and studio. While Bray charges $1,400 for lip blushing, Pruett charges between $450 to $695. These prices include touch-up appointments as needed to achieve your desired look.

Permanent Eyeliner

Getty Images What is permanent eyeliner?

There are a variety of eyeliner tattoos people can get based on their needs and personal aesthetic. There’s the lash line enhancement, which is a dark line that sits within the lash line to help make your eyes pop. “If you’re not wearing makeup, a lash enhancement will just leave you looking like you have fuller lashes,” says Bray.

There’s also semipermanent eyeliner, which can be applied above the lash line, creating some of your favorite eye likes from a cat-eye to a soft, smoky wing.

Who should get permanent eyeliner?

If lining your eyes is a part of your routine every morning, then permanent eyeliner can offer you similar results without the daily hassle.

How long does permanent eyeliner last?

According to Pruett, results can last up to one to three years, “so we recommend coming back whenever the color needs a little boost.” Six weeks after your original appointment, you’ll likely want to come back for a touch-up.

What are the potential risks of permanent eyeliner?

Just like with cosmetic brows and lips, the most prominent risk is an infection. However, Dr. Shamban approves of eyeliner tattoos, saying that they can be an “ideal” treatment for extra lash definition in some cases.

How much does permanent eyeliner cost?

Pruett charges about $600 for a lash line enhancement, which includes a touch-up about six weeks after the initial appointment.

Scar Camouflage

Mardoz / Getty Images What is scar camouflage?

Scar camouflage is a tattoo of the skin with flesh-colored pigment to mask a scar. This treatment is most well-known use is for mastectomy scars, although artists can also cover various forms of scars such as stretch marks or acne scars.

Most Popular Each Zodiac Sign’s Unique Personality Traits By Aliza Kelly Willow Smith’s Beaded Cornrows Made Me Call a Braider on the Spot By Gabi Thorne I’m Getting Emotional Just Looking at Tia and Tamera Mowry’s Makeup-Free Selfie By Gabi Thorne

Semipermanent cosmetic enhancement artist Dominique Bossav starts by assessing the scar and custom-blending a pigment to match her client’s skin exactly. She implants the pigment in fine layers less than one millimeter below the skin’s surface. The finished product will take two to three sessions, scheduled five to six weeks apart to allow for healing between each session.

Who should get scar camouflage?

Anyone with scars lighter than their natural skin color is a generally great candidate for this service. Typically, this treatment does not work well on scars that are brown, purple, or red. If you are looking to cover up brown, purple, or red scars, a laser and bleaching treatment should be done first, then you can undergo camouflage tattooing.

It’s also important to note that the scar needs to be fully healed before undergoing any tattooing, which usually takes eight to 12 months. This is so any residual redness or purple colors have totally dissipated and disappeared altogether, leaving the area with a disruption in the melanin production.

Though this treatment works well on hypertrophied scars, keloid scars are not a candidate for this treatment. “Because I deal with texture and color in one procedure, this works especially well on stretch marks, which have not only lost their melanin, but their collagen and elastin as well,” semipermanent cosmetic enhancement artist Dominique Bossavy explains. People who have hyperpigmentation spots are also usually good candidates — again, because of the patches of skin that are lighter than your overall skin tone. Most often these are caused by acne or sun damage.

How long does scar camouflage last?

Since scar tissue has a thicker texture and no sweat glands, scar camouflage lasts longer than other types of permanent makeup. Bossavy tells her clients that results will last for years, especially if they have minimal exposure to the sun and a gentle skin-care routine.

What are scar camouflage potential risks?

According to Bossavy, the most common risk is shoddy artistry. “Some technicians just plaster together a mix of white and brown to try to resemble a skin tone,” she says. “Because of the molecular structure of the color, the brown will most often turn orange over time and the white remains permanently bright, which has the opposite effect of making the scar even more obvious.” As with every type of permanent makeup, do your homework and make sure your artist’s technique resonates with you.

How much does scar camouflage cost?

Price varies depending on scar size, but you can usually expect a range from $2,500 to $4,500.

Freckle Tattoos

TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 6 – Gabrielle Rainbow, a tattoo artist from Montreal, marks the spots where she will tattoo freckles on client Sarah Strange, 20, at Chronic Ink, February 6, 2017. A trend story about people who are doing this (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images) Getty Images

What are freckle tattoos?

Think of freckle tattoos as the rebellious little sister of the permanent makeup industry. Some artists don’t perform them due to the difficulty of maintaining an even fade on the face, while others would argue that freckles are naturally uneven anyway.

Aesthetic Tattoos Are The Latest Body Art Trend

At this point, it almost feels like everyone knows someone with an aesthetic tattoo on their arm. (Or their thigh. Or their side.) But what exactly constitutes an aesthetic tattoo? And why do they suddenly seem so cool?

“Like any sort of fashion, tattoo trends are constantly evolving,” says Deanna Maffeo, a resident artist at Inked NYC. “Aesthetic tattoos are just the latest trend in an always-changing art.” When someone asks for one, Maffeo says they’re usually looking for something minimalist, often on the smaller side, and without too much detail — so it’s basically simple linework.

The simplicity is one of the main reasons why this type of tat is so popular right now. The designs don’t take up much space, Maffeo says, which means they’re easy to get and even easier to hide. For folks who were on the fence about the bigger, bolder tattoos — like patchwork ink, for example — aesthetic tattoos might seem more appealing. There’s also the fact a ton of celebrities have been getting them, adds Maffeo, making them even trendier. Just look at Selena Gomez’s music note or Hailey Bieber’s chevron lines.

If you’re on the market for a simple piece of body art, Maffeo suggests looking on Instagram and Pinterest for ideas. To help get you started, keep scrolling for fun examples of aesthetic tattoo ideas before setting up your appointment at the salon.